Global commercial whaling moratorium protected
As the 62nd annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission closed, Kitty Block, vice president of Humane Society International and head of the HSI delegation, released the following statement:
“We came to Agadir to defeat a proposal that would have undone the global commercial whaling moratorium, putting the world’s whales at greater risk of the suffering and death from the harpoons of the whaling nations. We did not come to Agadir alone — we came representing millions of citizens from around the world who did not want to see the IWC once again approve the slaughter of whales for commercial gain. Their voices were heard, and they shifted the balance. We were successful, and our team returns home with the knowledge that the moratorium remains and that those countries that continue to kill whales do so with international condemnation and scorn.
“Our work is far from done, however. Whales are still being hunted and killed by Japan, Iceland and Norway. Human-induced environmental threats and other factors continue to plague these magnificent creatures as well. Knowing the moratorium is secure, we can now return to the work of modernizing the IWC, closing the loopholes, increasing enforcement and strengthening the conservation mandate of the IWC. We need more and better engagement from the United States and other conservation-minded nations in the face of the threats facing whales today. We hope that all of those who invested themselves in this year’s battle will continue to be vigilant and active in the defense of whales and other cetaceans, as we at HSI certainly will be.”
Enviroshop is maintained by dedicated NetSys Interactive Inc. owners & employees who generously contribute their time to maintenance & editing, web design, custom programming, & website hosting for Enviroshop.